Benjamin Franklin knew he was smart — smarter than most of his peers — but he was also intelligent enough to understand that he couldn’t be right about everything. That’s why he said that whenever he was about to make an argument, he would open with something along the lines of, “I could be wrong, but…” Saying this put people at ease and helped them to take disagreements less personally. But it also helped him to psychologically prime himself to be open to new ideas.
A New Way to Become More Open-Minded
Start by admitting you might be wrong.
November 20, 2018
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Summary.
Most leaders would agree that open-mindedness — about new products, strategies, business models — is one key to success in the modern economy. But how do you build it? Research spanning religious philosophy suggests that open-mindedness is a combination of intellectual humility and openness to experience, that is, a willingness to seek out and engage with different viewpoints, and the ability to let those experiences change your beliefs. And studies suggest you can build both traits through travel, reading, meditation and other interventions.